Patent application title: Apparatus for transmitting media using social intimacy and method thereof

Abstract:

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for transmitting media data using
social intimacy. The apparatus and method can calculate a social intimacy
level for a plurality of previously stored terminal information, request
at least one terminal of transmitting terminal information according to a
media transmission request, and when receiving the requested terminal
information from at least one terminal, transmit the media data to a
terminal where the terminal information equals the received terminal
information among terminal information having higher social intimacy,
thereby sharing the media data with people forming a higher social
intimacy with a user.

Claims:

1. A media transmission apparatus using social intimacy, comprising:a
memory unit for storing a plurality of terminal information and a
plurality of media data;a social intimacy calculating unit for
calculating a social intimacy level that indicates the degree of the
social intimacy as a figure; anda control unit for calculating a social
intimacy level for the plurality of terminal information stored in the
memory unit using the social intimacy calculating unit and thus
extracting terminal information corresponding to the calculated social
intimacy level, determining whether at least one of terminal
corresponding to the extracted terminal information is located within a
specific communication services area, and transmitting the media data to
a specific terminal from among the at least one of terminal corresponding
to the extracted terminal information when the at least one of terminal
corresponding to the extracted terminal information is located within the
specific communication services area.

2. The media transmitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit
extracts a predetermined number of pieces of terminal information out of
pieces of terminal information corresponding to the calculated social
intimacy level, requests at least one of the terminals located within a
specific communication services area of transmitting its terminal
information according to a media transmitting request, and retrieves
terminal information equal to the received terminal information among the
extracted terminal information when the requested terminal information is
received and transmitting the media data to a terminal corresponding to
the retrieved terminal information.

3. The media transmitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the specific
communication services area is one of areas in which communications are
enabled by using the media transmitting apparatus.

4. The media transmitting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:a
transmit unit for transmitting the media data using one of Bluetooth,
Zigbee and UWB (Ultra Wide Band).

5. The media transmitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit
transmits the media data to a terminal corresponding to the remaining
terminal information among the extracted terminal information over a
cellular network.

6. The media transmitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the terminal
information comprises at least one of a phone number and a WPAN ID.

7. The media transmitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the social
intimacy level is calculated using at least one of the number of calls,
the duration of a call and sending/receiving times of text messages.

8. The media transmitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the social
intimacy level is calculated using an equation defined bySocial intimacy
level=a*the number of calls+b*the duration of a call+c*sending/receiving
times of text messages,wherein a refers to a weight for the number of
calls, b refers to a weight for the duration of a call, and c refers to
sending/receiving times of text messages.

9. The media transmitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the media data is
transmitted using at least one of a point-to-point protocol or a
point-to-multipoint protocol.

10. A media transmitting method using social intimacy, comprising the
steps of:calculating a social intimacy level that indicates the degree of
the social intimacy as a figure for a plurality of terminal information
previously stored;extracting terminal information corresponding to the
calculated social intimacy level;determining whether at least one of
terminal corresponding to the extracted terminal information is located
within a specific communication services area; andtransmitting the media
data to a specific terminal from among the at least one of terminal
corresponding to the extracted terminal information when the at least one
of terminal corresponding to the extracted terminal information is
located within the specific communication services area.

11. The media transmitting method of claim 10, further
comprising:extracting a predetermined number of terminal information out
of pieces of terminal information corresponding to the calculated social
intimacy level;requesting at least one of the terminals located within a
specific communication services area of transmitting its terminal
information according to a media transmitting request;retrieving terminal
information equal to a received terminal information among the extracted
terminal information when the requested terminal information is received;
andtransmitting the media data to a terminal corresponding to t he
retrieved terminal information.

12. The media transmitting method of claim 10, wherein the specific
communication services area is one of areas in which communications are
enabled by using the media transmitting apparatus.

13. The media transmitting method of claim 10, wherein the media data is
transmitted using one of Bluetooth, Zigbee and UWB (Ultra Wide Band).

14. The media transmitting method of claim 10, wherein the control unit
transmits the media data to a terminal corresponding to the remaining
terminal information among the extracted terminal information over a
cellular network.

15. The media transmitting method of claim 10, wherein the terminal
information comprises at least one of a phone number and a WPAN ID.

16. The media transmitting method of claim 10, wherein, in the step of
calculating the social intimacy level, the social intimacy level is
calculated using at least one of the number of calls, the duration of a
call and sending/receiving times of text messages.

17. The media transmitting method of claim 10, wherein, in the step of
calculating the social intimacy level, the social intimacy level is
calculated using an equation defined bySocial intimacy level=a*the number
of calls+b*the duration of a call+c*sending/receiving times of text
messages,wherein a refers to a weight for the number of calls, b refers
to a weight for the duration of a call, and c refers to sending/receiving
times of text messages.

18. The media transmitting method of claim 10, wherein transmitting the
media data comprises transmitting using at least one of a point-to-point
protocol or a point-to-multipoint protocol.

19. A media transmission network comprising a plurality if base stations
capable of communicating with a plurality of mobile stations, at least
two of the mobile stations capable of using social intimacy, each of the
at least two mobile stations comprising:a memory unit for storing a
plurality of terminal information and a plurality of media data;a social
intimacy calculating unit for calculating a social intimacy level that
indicates the degree of the social intimacy as a figure; anda control
unit for calculating a social intimacy level for the plurality of
terminal information stored in the memory unit using the social intimacy
calculating unit and thus extracting a predetermined number of pieces of
terminal information out of pieces of terminal information corresponding
to the calculated social intimacy level, requesting at least one of the
terminals located within a specific communication services area of
transmitting its terminal information according to a media transmitting
request, retrieving terminal information equal to the received terminal
information among the extracted terminal information when the requested
terminal information is received and transmitting the media data to a
terminal corresponding to the retrieved terminal information.

20. The media transmitting network of claim 19, wherein the specific
communication services area is a Wireless Personal Area Network.

21. The media transmitting network of claim 19, wherein the control unit
transmits the media data to a terminal corresponding to the remaining
terminal information among the extracted terminal information over a
cellular network.

22. The media transmitting network of claim 19, wherein the terminal
information comprises at least one of a phone number and a WPAN ID.

23. The media transmitting network of claim 19, wherein the social
intimacy level is calculated using at least one of the number of calls,
the duration of a call and sending/receiving times of text messages.

24. The media transmitting network of claim 19, wherein the social
intimacy level is calculated using an equation defined bySocial intimacy
level=a*the number of calls+b*the duration of a call+c*sending/receiving
times of text messages,wherein a refers to a weight for the number of
calls, b refers to a weight for the duration of a call, and c refers to
sending/receiving times of text messages.

Description:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY

[0001]The present application is related to and claims the benefit under
35 U.S.C. §119(a) of an application entitled "Apparatus for
Transmitting Media Using Social Intimacy and Method Thereof" filed in the
Korean Industrial Property Office on Jun. 19, 2008 and assigned Ser. No.
10-2008-0058071, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by
reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002]The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for
transmitting media data using social intimacy, and more particularly to
an apparatus and a method for transmitting media data to users having
higher social intimacy through a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003]In general, a user generates media data that he or she wants, such
as a photograph and moving images, using a mobile telecommunication
terminal with a camera, e.g., a cell phone or a Personal Digital
Assistants (PDA). If a user intends to share the media data with his
friend, he or she can transmit the media data stored in a mobile
telecommunication terminal to a wired terminal such as a Personal
Computer (PC). Then, the user accesses an internet network through the
wired terminal, retrieves a web page to which to transmit the media data
and shares the media data on the retrieved web page. When the media data
is shared on a web page, other users can access the web page, which has
received the media data, via the internet and download the corresponding
media data.

[0004]In such prior art, a user, who wants to share media data, used to
share media data generated through a mobile telecommunication terminal on
a web page using an internet network, and then other users could download
the media data. However, when the media data is shared in this way, a
problem occurs in that other users, besides the friend with whom the user
wishes to share, are able to access the web page and download the media
data.

[0005]In addition, a problem exist in that the friend that the user wishes
to share is required to access the web page via an internet using a wired
terminal and download the shared media data in order to download the
media data.

[0006]Therefore, the present invention provides an apparatus for
transmitting media data using social intimacy between users and a method
thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007]To address the above-discussed deficiencies of the prior art, it is
a primary object to provide a media transmitting apparatus using social
intimacy, the apparatus including a memory unit for storing a plurality
of terminal information and a plurality of media data, a social intimacy
calculating unit for calculating a social intimacy level that indicates
the degree of the social intimacy as a figure, and a control unit for
calculating a social intimacy level for the plurality of terminal
information stored in the memory unit using the social intimacy
calculating unit and thus determining whether at least one of terminal
corresponding to the extracted terminal information is located within a
specific communication services area, transmitting the media data to a
specific terminal from among the at least one of terminal corresponding
to the extracted terminal information when the at least one of terminal
corresponding to the extracted terminal information is located within the
specific communication services area.

[0008]In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a media
transmitting method using social intimacy is provided. The method
includes the step of calculating a social intimacy level that indicates
the degree of the social intimacy as a figure for a plurality of pieces
of terminal information previously stored. The method also includes
determining whether at least one of terminal corresponding to the
extracted terminal information is located within a specific communication
services area, transmitting the media data to a specific terminal from
among the at least one of terminal corresponding to the extracted
terminal information when the at least one of terminal corresponding to
the extracted terminal information is located within the specific
communication services area.

[0009]Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION below,
it may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and
phrases used throughout this patent document: the terms "include" and
"comprise," as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without
limitation; the term "or," is inclusive, meaning and/or; the phrases
"associated with" and "associated therewith," as well as derivatives
thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with,
contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be
communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate
to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like; and the
term "controller" means any device, system or part thereof that controls
at least one operation, such a device may be implemented in hardware,
firmware or software, or some combination of at least two of the same. It
should be noted that the functionality associated with any particular
controller may be centralized or distributed, whether locally or
remotely. Definitions for certain words and phrases are provided
throughout this patent document, those of ordinary skill in the art
should understand that in many, if not most instances, such definitions
apply to prior, as well as future uses of such defined words and phrases.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its
advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference
numerals represent like parts:

[0011]FIG. 1 illustrates a construction diagram of a mobile terminal
according to the present invention;

[0012]FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary diagram of describing the
transmission of media data to a mobile terminal having higher social
intimacy according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0013]FIG. 3 illustrates a flow chart showing the procedure of
transmitting media data using a social intimacy level.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014]FIGS. 1 through 3, discussed below, and the various embodiments used
to describe the principles of the present disclosure in this patent
document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in
any way to limit the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art
will understand that the principles of the present disclosure may be
implemented in any suitably arranged global communication network.

[0015]In the following, components of a media transmitting apparatus and
the operation of each component according to an embodiment of the present
invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 1. An
embodiment of the present invention will be described by an example of a
mobile terminal which transmits media data through WPAN such as
Bluetooth®, Zigbee® and UWB (Ultra Wide Band).

[0016]FIG. 1 illustrates a construction diagram of a mobile terminal
according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017]A mobile terminal according to the present invention includes a
control unit 100, a communication module 110, a WPAN module 120, a key
input unit 130, a social intimacy calculating unit 140, a memory unit 150
and a user phone number managing unit 160.

[0018]The control unit 100 controls the general operation of the mobile
terminal. In particular, the control unit 100 calculates a social
intimacy level for each of the phone numbers stored in the memory unit
150 using the social intimacy calculating unit 140, wherein the social
intimacy calculating unit 140 calculates a social intimacy level that
indicates the degree of the social intimacy as a figure. Such social
intimacy levels can be calculated by Equation 1:

Social intimacy level=a*the number of calls+b*the duration of a
call+c*sending/receiving times of text messages [Eqn. 1]

[0019]In Equation 1, each letter a, b and c refers to a weight.

[0020]The social intimacy level can be calculated through the number of
calls with other mobile terminal, the duration of a call,
sending/receiving times of text messages, and the like, and it will be
understood that the higher the calculated social intimacy level is, the
higher social intimacy is. Also, the present invention can calculate a
social intimacy level by a value from summing up each times like Equation
1, but also can calculate the social intimacy level by only examining the
number of calls, the duration of a call, sending/receiving times of text
messages, and so forth, according to users' occupation. For example, if a
user is a salesman having lots of call times with other parties, a social
intimacy level can be calculated only by the number of calls. In
addition, if a user is a student frequently using a text message service,
a social intimacy level can be calculated only by sending/receiving times
of text messages.

[0021]Then, the control unit 100 sorts phone numbers in the order that a
calculated social intimacy level is higher, and generate a phone number
list that contains phone numbers having higher intimacy levels among the
sorted phone numbers. In some embodiments, the phone number list includes
a predetermined number of phone numbers in higher social intimacy level
order, wherein the predetermined number of phone numbers can be
previously set to transmit media data from a user. For example, when the
number predetermined by a user is equal to five (5), the phone number
list includes the corresponding five (5) phone numbers in a higher social
intimacy level order. In some embodiments, a phone number list includes
some phone numbers selected by a user from telephone numbers having
higher social intimacy. For example, if a user selects only the phone
numbers classified as a friends list among phone numbers, the phone
number list includes only the phone numbers classified as the friends
list among phone numbers having higher social intimacy.

[0022]When there is a request to transmit media data to users with higher
social intimacy through a key input unit 130, the control unit 100
requests that each of other mobile terminal within a WPAN radius where
the mobile terminal is located transmit a WPAN ID and a phone number.
When the requested WPAN ID and phone number are received from each of the
other mobile terminals through the WPAN module 120, the control unit 100
compares the telephone numbers included in the phone number list
generated through the user phone number managing unit 160 included in the
control unit 100 and phone numbers received through the WPAN module 120
to check if there is an equal phone number. If there is an equal phone
number, the control unit 100 transmits media data to a terminal
corresponding to a WPAN ID of the equal phone number. Thus, a user
directly transmits media data to another party having higher social
intimacy to which media data is to be transmitted. In particular, data in
WPAN is transmitted using a point-to-point protocol or a
point-to-multipoint protocol such as Peer-to-Peer (P2P), and therefore
media data can be transmitted without a cost to a plurality of users.

[0023]If a phone number in the generated phone number list is unequal to
the phone numbers received through the WPAN module 120, the control unit
100 transmits media data to mobile phones corresponding to the remaining
unequal phone numbers. In some embodiments, the control unit 100 can
transmit media data over a cellular network using Short Message Service
(SMS) or Wireless Communications Service (WCS).

[0024]The communication module 110 can transmit media data over a cellular
network and receive the transmitted data over the cellular network.

[0025]The WPAN module 120 requests of transmitting a WPAN ID and a phone
number over WPAN and receives the WPAN ID and the phone number. Also, the
WPAN module 120 transmits media data over WPAN.

[0026]The key input unit 130 includes a key for transmitting media data to
a mobile terminal having a higher social intimacy, and the key input unit
130 can transmit data of a key value corresponding to a key pressed by a
user to the control unit 100.

[0027]The social intimacy calculating unit 140 calculates the social
intimacy level for phone numbers stored in the memory unit 150. For
example, the social calculating unit 140 calculates the social intimacy
level using Equation 1 as described above.

[0029]The user phone number managing unit 160 is included in the control
unit 100. The user phone number managing unit 160 compares phone numbers
included in the generated phone number list and phone numbers received
through the WPAN module 120 to check if there is an equal phone number.

[0030]As described above, a method of transmitting media data to users
having higher social intimacy will be described in detail with reference
to FIG. 2.

[0031]FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary diagram for describing the
transmission of media data to a mobile terminal having higher social
intimacy according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032]In an illustrative example the total number of calls of a first
terminal 210 equals one hundred (100), the number of calls with a second
terminal 220 equals forty (40), the number of calls with a third terminal
230 equals thirty-five (35) and the number of calls with a fourth
terminal equals twenty-five (25). Here, with regard to the social
intimacy with the first terminal 210, the second terminal is the highest,
and the third terminal is the next highest, and the fourth terminal is
the third highest. If the number of a preset phone number to transmit
media data equals three (3), the first terminal 210 transmits media data
in the order of higher social intimacy levels. For example, transmission
of media from the first terminal is performed the order of the second
terminal first, the third terminal second, and the fourth terminal
thirdly, over WPAN 200. If a fifth terminal 250 that is not included in
WPAN 200 among terminals having higher social intimacy exists, then the
first terminal 100 transmits media data to the fifth terminal 250 via a
base station A 201 and a base station B 202. At this time, the first
terminal 100 can transmit a text message including media data to the
fifth terminal 250.

[0033]In the following, a procedure of transmitting media data to the
mobile terminal having higher social intimacy from one mobile terminal as
shown in FIG. 1 and according to an embodiment of the present invention
will be described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. The transmitting
procedure will be discussed by way of an example of a mobile terminal
that transmits media data over WPAN.

[0034]FIG. 3 illustrates a flow chart showing the procedure of
transmitting media data using a social intimacy level according to an
embodiment of the present invention.

[0035]According to an embodiment of the present invention, the
transmitting procedure will be explained by an example of transmitting
media data by a mobile terminal via WPAN.

[0036]In step 300, the control unit 100 calculates a social intimacy level
for phone numbers stored in a memory unit 150. The social intimacy level
can be calculated using Equation 1 as mentioned above. Additionally, the
social intimacy level can be calculated using at least one of the number
of calls, the duration of a call and sending/receiving times of text
messages.

[0037]In step 301, the control unit 100 sorts the phone numbers in the
order that the calculated social intimacy level is higher, and generates
a phone number list that includes as many numbers as predetermined by a
user among the sorted phone numbers. For example, if a user sets the
number of phone numbers to be included in the phone number list as three
(3), the phone number list includes three phone numbers among phone
numbers sorted in the order of higher social intimacy level.

[0038]In step 302, a control unit 100 checks if there is a request of
transmitting media data to mobile terminals having higher social intimacy
through a key input unit 130. If there is a request, the method proceeds
to step 303, and if there is not a request, it checks continuously if
there is a media transmission request in step 302.

[0039]In step 303, the control unit 100 requests other mobile terminals
located within a WPAN radius 200 including a mobile terminal of a WPAN ID
and a phone number. For example, referring to FIGURE 2, a first terminal
210 requests a second terminal 220, a third terminal 230 and a fourth
terminal 240, all of which are located within the WPAN radius 200, of a
WPAN ID and a phone number.

[0040]In step 304, the control unit 100 checks if a WPAN ID and a phone
number requested through the WPAN module 120 are received. If they are
received, the method proceeds to step 305, and if they are not received,
it checks continuously if the WPAN ID and the phone number requested in
step 304 are received.

[0041]In step 305, the control unit 100 compares phone numbers included in
the phone number list generated through the user phone number managing
unit 160 and a phone number received through the WPAN module 120.

[0042]In step 306, the control unit 100 checks if there is one of the
phone numbers included in the generated phone number list equal to the
received phone number. If there is an equal phone number, the method
proceeds to step 307, and if there is no equal phone number, it proceeds
to step 308.

[0043]In step 307, the control unit 100 transmits media data through the
WPAN module 120 to a mobile terminal corresponding to a WPAN ID for the
equal phone number. As described in FIG. 2, if a fourth terminal 240
located in the WPAN area 200 does not exist in the phone number list, the
control unit 100 would not transmit media data to the fourth terminal
240.

[0044]In step 308, the control unit 100 transmits media data to a mobile
terminal corresponding to the remaining phone numbers that are included
in the phone number list but not included within the WPAN radius. Here,
the control unit 100 can transmit media data over the cellular network
using a service such as a text message. For example, if the phone number
of a fifth terminal 250 is included in phone numbers contained in the
phone number list, the control unit 100 transmits media data to the fifth
terminal 250 through the base station A 201 and the base station B 202)
even though the fifth terminal 250 is not included in the WPAN radius
200. Through this, the user can transmit media data directly to a mobile
terminal corresponding to a higher social intimacy phone number to which
the media data is to be transmitted.

[0045]After step 307 and step 308, the control unit 100 checks if there is
a request for finishing the media data transmission in step 309. If there
is a finishing request, the method finishes the media data transmission
procedure. If there is not a finishing request, it proceeds to step 302
and checks if there is a media data transmission request, and then
performs step 303 through step 309.

[0046]The present invention can transmit media data to mobile terminals
corresponding to higher social intimacy phone numbers among phone numbers
to which a user wants to transmit media data.

[0047]Also, the present invention can transmit media data directly to
mobile terminals corresponding to higher social intimacy phone numbers,
and therefore it is unnecessary to access a web page via a wired terminal
to share media data.

[0048]Although the present disclosure has been described with an exemplary
embodiment, various changes and modifications may be suggested to one
skilled in the art. It is intended that the present disclosure encompass
such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended
claims.